In an article at LaDroit, veteran forward Daniel Briere has announced his retirement from hockey. The article, written in French, begins, “I played my last game in the National Hockey League. The time has come for me to announce my retirement.”
He continues (via Google Translate):
It’s really not a decision that is taken lightly. I thought about it for several weeks. In fact, the idea began to germinate in my mind last winter, when I was in Colorado. I was away from my children, who remained in Philadelphia. It really was not an easy situation for me.
Briere will be 38 before the start of the 2015-16 season and has played 17 NHL seasons, split between the Phoenix Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, a one-year stop with the Montreal Canadiens and a one-year stop, wthe last of his career, with the Colorado Avalanche. He still makes his home in Philadelphia and has a strong attachment there, going so far as to suggest that he hopes he could get a role in the organization in the article, adding, “I’ve always been treated well within this organization and I would be proud to maintain a role.”
Briere is a four-time 30-goal scorer and posted 95 points in the 2006-07 season for the Sabres. And while he never won the Stanley Cup, he had an incredible run in the 2009-10 season with the Flyers, scoring 12 goals and 18 assists through 23 postseason games.
He played a total of 973 regular season games (1,097 total games), scoring 307 goals and 389 assists.
He’ll retire as a two-time All-Star who won gold in the World Junior Championships the year after he was the QMJHL’s Humanitarian of the Year. He also won two gold medals for Canada in the World Championships, during the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons.
If he doesn’t wind up with a job in the Flyers organization, maybe we’ll see him again in a few years when he’s old enough to qualify for Pavel Bure’s World Legends Hockey League (and because they’ll get Canada involved eventually).
Briere says in the article that the official announcement of his retirement will come in a press conference on Tuesday, which may be when we find out more about a potential off-ice role with the Flyers.
UPDATE:
A few nice things folks from around the hockey world are saying about Briere.
@DannyBriere48, Enjoy retirement and be proud of a great career. Loved and hated your clutch goals.
— Daniel Alfredsson (@DAlfredsson11) August 17, 2015
Will add my voice to those wishing Daniel Briere well as he retires from a distinguished career. Small in stature but big of heart.
— Scott Burnside (@OvertimeScottB) August 17, 2015
Daniel Briere announces his retirement today, one of the classiest guys I've covered. Wish him all the best. Bonne chance, Daniel
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) August 17, 2015
Congrats to Daniel Briere for an outstanding career. Was an honor competing with him. #bestteammate #legend
— Max Talbot (@Max25talbot) August 17, 2015
Daniel Brière announced in LeDroit that he's retiring. What a great career for a player who always heard he's never gonna make it.
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) August 17, 2015
Congrats to Daniel Briere on a solid career, one of the nicest players you'll ever meet. 7 x 20 goal scorer, 4 x 30 goals. 5 x 60 pts #NHL
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) August 17, 2015